VIDEO GAME REVIEWS Silent Hill 2 WHERE TO FIND Amazon.com: PLAYSTATION 2 PC XBOX Games Universe: PLAYSTATION 2 XBOX Rent it at GameFly.com! BUY THE STRATEGY GUIDE! BUY THE SOUNDTRACK! Reviewed By LessonNo5 Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a fly buzzing around someone's head while they dealt with a terrifying situation? Yeah, me neither. That's what Silent Hill 2 gives you in its camera system though. It creates an excellent cinematic feel as it floats and buzzes and tilts around the main character. It's that very same system that builds so much of the atmosphere in this, and the other games in the Silent Hill series. This game begins with James Sunderland arriving in Silent Hill. He goes there after receiving a letter from his deceased wife, which says she’s there waiting for him. James, lonely, depressed, and desperate since his wife’s death, goes there in search for her. Don’t be confused by the characters. James Sunderland may look a hell of a lot like the main character in the first game, but this is actually a completely different character in a totally different story. Oh, and don’t confuse James with Mark Hamill, either. Anyway... Once the game begins, be prepared to meet some creepy and suspicious characters. This is Silent Hill, after all, where only two things are constant: The fog, and the fact that you can’t really trust anyone. Anyone out there thinking about getting a copy of this game should probably be aware of one thing. This is by no means a game of combat. While fighting all sorts of really messed up characters does play an important role in the game, it’s far from the focus. As a matter of fact, in order to see some of the games multiple endings you actually have to fight less often. As far as the game’s enemies go I’ve got some good news and bad news. The enemies from the first game were a major weakness in it (Except for the creepy wrinkled kids with the knives in the school, of course.) Well, the good news is that all of the annoying monsters form the first game have either been eliminated, or upgraded to a slightly less annoying status. The bad news is they’ve been replaced with way more creepy, but just as annoying creatures. As I said, this isn’t a game of combat. I know some of you out there are probably scoffing and asking yourselves, "What’s the point, then?" Well, what’s great about games of the Silent Hill series, is that they don’t need a lot of combat to be scary. With a puzzle difficulty and battle difficulty level that can be altered, to keep it challenging, these are horror games of the most pure variety. To put it another way, we’re talking about the difference between, say, Friday the 13th and Event Horizon. Both of which are amazing, but arguably different types of scares. Silent Hill 2 is a game of suspense and intrigue. It makes you actually want to find out what happens at the end. That’s when the game gets you, right there. As I mentioned above, there are multiple endings. Five, to be exact. That’s because there’s several different ways to play the game, and you get the ending according to how you play, and thus your personality. If you’re the type that goes for the hot girl, then you get your wish at the end. If you stay focused on your objective and keep your deceased wife in your thoughts, you get another ending. Of course, if you really want to know what’s going on, you have to see them all. All in all, of you like scary games, then you'll love this game. The sound, graphics, and cg are all top notch. There are even certain parts I would nominate if someone asked for a prime example of what the PS2 is capable of. The opening sequence, when James is in the public bathroom... A few of the facial expressions and movements had me convinced it was live action, if only for a second. The voice acting has come equally as far, thought still not perfect. Both of which are BIG steps forward from the original. RATING (Out of 5) THE GOOD NEWS The monsters in Silent Hill are still #1 on the charts with their radio-friendly hit, "ShhcccckkkccchhhccckkkcchhchcTweetTweetShhhhhccccckkkk..." THE BAD NEWS In Silent Hill, finding some college party dude puking into a toilet never equates to more beer for you. RELEASE DATES Playstation 2 - 09/25/01 XBox* - 12/20/01 PC - 12/02/02 * 'Restless Dreams' version REVIEW POSTED January 22 2004 # OF PLAYERS 1 OFFICIAL WEBSITE www.konami.com/silenthill2 CHEATS/WALKTHROUGHS Walkthroughs/Maps at GameFaqs.com PUBLISHER Konami DEVELOPER Konami TYO ESRB RATING PUT YOUR OWN REVIEWS ON THE MESSAGE BOARD!

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